North’s Thompson calls time
BY his own admission, Kangaroo Scott Thompson has annoyed many opponents over his AFL journey.
But to dismiss the retiring North Melbourne defender as a serial pest wouldn’t do justice to his achievements over a 12year career.
Thompson, who has played 238 AFL games after making his debut as a 21-year-old fresh off Geelong’s VFL list, will finish up at the end of the season having won the club’s bestand-fairest award and being named an All-Australian, both in 2013.
Despite the late start to his career, the South Barwon GFL product will be remembered as a stalwart of the Roos’ backline for more than a decade.
But he concedes he will also be remembered for his on-field niggle, which most famously drove Barry Hall to slap him in a headlock in 2010.
“That was a while ago now but I still get that mentioned to me every day,” Thompson said with wry grin as he announced his retirement yesterday.
“That kind of shaped my career, I changed the way that I played a little bit after that, but I always wanted to do whatever I could for the team.
“If I had to niggle an opponent to get them off their game, I’d do that.
“(I was) a pest early on in my career. I stayed within the rules but just doing anything I could do to put them off their game.”
The father of three conceded he had been thinking about retirement for some time.
“I’ve loved every minute of the 12 years I’ve had, (but) everyone’s career comes to an end and it’s my time to finish up,” he said.
“I’m slowing up a little and I just didn’t want to go into a season and not know if I can make it through.”